


I Just Want to Tell You

by Batkate



Series: The StarBat Universe [2]
Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Bisexuality, F/F, Lunch, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-24
Updated: 2013-04-24
Packaged: 2017-12-09 10:32:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/773183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batkate/pseuds/Batkate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Dick’s friend had always been pretty but … but wow. After seeing her as the firey Batgirl, who wouldn’t be enchanted by Barbara Gordon?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Just Want to Tell You

Kory was nervous.

She kept playing with her tennis bracelet, her knees were shaking against the outdoor cafe table and she had moths in her stomach (or whatever that earth phrase was) – all waiting for _her_.

Oh for X’hal’s sake, why were girls so hard to read?

With boys it was a little easier; if you flirted with them and they didn’t like girls, they’d tell you — no harm, no fuss. But girls … girls who weren’t interested in Kory “like that” never seemed to want to be friends if Kory so much as hinted that she wanted more.  Even though Kory fully accepted that they didn’t want a romantic relationship, the friendship was always impossible to mend. Maybe that was why she had only been with men (well, there was the occasional kissing session with Donna back during her Titan days, but that didn’t really count). It was strange, really; most of her ad campaigns featured her posing provocatively with other women, but X’hal forbid she actually develop feelings for … the point was, it wasn’t that Kory had _avoided_ dating human women — it just seemed like she fell in more naturally with human men, romance-wise.

But then she had been in the middle of that job with Jason and Roy in Central Gotham — the gang wars and the prostitutes caught in between. She and the boys had been trying to take down the Maroni family and Batgirl was trying to get those poor women to a safe house. At that point it had been a year since the two women had been face to face (Dick’s going away party from the Titans — Barbara had given her a small hug and polite small talk was had) and Kory hadn’t gotten to work with Barbara in the field before that, but any previous assumption she had about the earth girl’s timidity was blown out of the water with what she saw: the plump lips turning into a sneer as she interrogated a thug, the ruby red curls bouncing as she ran from rooftop to rooftop, the passion in her steel blue eyes when she stood up to Jason. Dick’s friend had always been pretty but … but wow. After seeing her as the firey Batgirl, who wouldn’t be enchanted by Barbara Gordon?

Maybe a small part of her was happy her day job was moving her to the same city as Barbara, but it wasn’t like they ran into each other on the street (even if Kory did keep an eye out for those red locks and petite figure). However, she did catch the news reports on her and little Timmy. And there was that one time she was up on Gotham Bank One tower for an event and saw Batgirl jumping from the rooftop a block away.

But that didn’t really compare to a few months later when she got out of Dick’s pool at Wayne Manor to find Barbara standing right in front of her. Being Barbara’s partner in the Croc case let her get to know the human girl better and it was fantastic. It was so much fun and they won and she got to carry Barbara in her arms (she was so tiny and pretty and it drove Kory crazy). It was just a lovely day, all topped off with ice cream on the roof. Kory even wiped this little bit of mint ice cream from Barbara’s lips and more than anything she wanted to learn in and … and then Barbara backed away. After two days hearing nothing from her (despite saying she’d call), Kory was ready to accept that she had scared her could-be friend away.

“I’m so sorry I’m late, Kory!”

The Tamaranian jumped a little in her seat as Barbara startled her out of the memory.  She smiled up at the human girl, as if nothing had been troubling her at all.

“Oh don’t worry, Barbara!” she chirped. But Barbara still looked flustered.

“First the case went long and then, of course, my phone died,” she rattled off, flustered as she sat down, “and the prosecutor kept asking me these inane questions after adjournment and—”

“Barbara,” Kory said with a smile, “it’s fine. You were barely late.”

The girl finally took a deep breath and unwrapped her napkin. “I’m sorry, it’s just been a stressful day to the nth degree. I’m just glad I got here in one piece.”

“I’m glad too,” Kory found herself saying before she could really think about it. But the thought behind it was apparently lost on Barbara, who was flagging down the waitress to take their drink orders.

Barbara described what little she legally could about the case she was helping the DA with — it was blue collar fraud and he was so going away. And Kory tried to listen- but gosh, Barbara looked pretty. Still in her courtroom outfit, she had taken off her jacket to reveal a crisp white button-down shirt with the top couple buttons undone. She wore a locket that hit just above her bust and she kept absentmindedly playing with it. During the conversation, she bent over to help hand a dropped toy to the family passing them on the sidewalk, giving Kory a chance to gaze at Barbara’s curves in the tight black pencil skirt. It reminded her of that movie Dick liked to watch with her so often — _Slutty Secretaries 4_? Maybe _5_. Either way, with Barbara’s glasses perched on the bridge of her nose and her hair still up in a twist (except for a pernicious lock she kept having to tuck behind her ear), Kory knew where Dick got that particular kink from and for her part, Kory was downright smitten.

As they enjoyed their conversation, it quickly moved into their favorite musicals and then to their personal thug take-down techniques. Kory eagerly demonstrated her favorite headlock move on her purse, but blushed when she realized she had jumped out of her chair to show it and almost started floating.

“I apologize,” she blushed and sat down, “Dick says I am very enthusiastic sometimes.”

But Barbara’s smile was full of bemusement. “It’s OK.” It was that smile that put Kory at ease, but then she noticed Barbara’s eyes move down a little.

“What is it?” Kory asked, tilting her head down, “Have I got something on my dress?”

Apparently it was Barbara’s turn to blush. “Oh! No, your dress is fine … wow, that’s a pretty purse,” she said as she took a drink of water. Kory looked down at the quilted navy leather of the box-shaped purse and beamed.

“Oh thank you!” she replied, cradling the bag, “it was a gift from Marc.”

“Oh,” Barbara said.

“Yes, he’s so generous,” she said, thinking fondly of the last fashion shoot.

“So,” Barbara swirled her iced tea with her straw, “is Marc a guy from the Titans or -I don’t know, another model?”

It took a second before Kory started giggling. “Marc as in Marc Jacobs,” Kory explained, “the designer.”

Barbara blinked. “ _Oh_ ,” she said with a chuckle, “I thought it might have been a guy you were seeing or something.”

“Oh no, he’s not interested in me,” she laughed before noticing that Barbara had just given her an opening. “So are you,” she started, “Do _you_ have a guy you are seeing?”

Barbara paused and bit her lip and was about to speak- but the server took that moment to come out with their meals.

“Oh good,” Barbara sighed, “I’m starving.”

“What were we talking about?” Kory tried.

“Purses, I think?” was Barbara’s answer as she focused on her plate, “Hey, how’s your food?”

Kory tried not to let out a huff, but she just really wanted to know. Son of a glorblok, why couldn’t she just ask Barbara: _“Barbara, do you like girls? Do you find me sexually attractive?”_ Why did so many earth girls see that as an insult, or worse- a threat? But Kory just smiled and answered,

“It’s delicious. The sweetbreads are excellent.”

“Yeah, what are they exactly?” Barbara asked, “Sweetbreads, I mean.”

“I believe they are the glands of young earth bovines.”

“… Oh.”

“They taste just like q’arknarp from my planet. Except q’arknarp pods are violet,” Kory added as she squeezed more mustard onto the plate and dunked a piece in. It was oh so tasty. “Would you like to try some?”

By the look on Barbara’s face, Kory thought Barbara would decline. But—

“Sure,” she tipped her head to the side and shrugged. Barbara’s hand went to her fork, but Kory already had a piece on her own. She held it out, but Barbara still had to lean over the table to take the bite. It was quite a view. _Don’t stare at her cleavage, don’t stare at her cleavage._ Kory’s mantra was working until Barbara let out a little moan.

“OK, that’s actually really good,” Barbara managed as she was still chewing. Her thumb wiped a little of the mustard off her lower lip — Kory held back a whimper. _Get a hold of yourself,_ she thought as they kept eating. _You are Tamaranian royalty. Keep it together._

“Hey Kory?”

“ _Yes?_ ” she almost yelped.

“I’m … I’m really glad we got to do this, Kory. I’m sorry if we didn’t really get to know each other before this, but it’s nice to become more than acquaintances.”

The alien’s face lit me. “Me too! Where did you want to go from here? … For our special girl’s day out today,” she added just in case.

“Well, I know how much you like ice cream. There’s an amazing frozen yogurt place a few blocks down that lets you put on as many toppings as you…” Barbara’s eyes focused on something behind Kory before muttering, “Oh Jesus.”

“What is it?” Kory turned her head.

“You see that guy at the stoplight?” Barbara motioned to a tall man in a business suit, “His name’s Gus. I went to high school with him.”

“And he is … unpleasant?” she asked as she turned back to the table.

“That’s one word for it,” Barbara stirred her ice tea aggressively, “You could also have picked ‘dickhead’ or ‘asshat.’ He enjoyed giving me not so nice nicknames revolving around my red hair until I hit puberty- then he started hitting on me. And he could not take a hint.”

“He forced himself on you?” Kory tensed up.

“He tried. He got his hand around my waist before I slammed his face into a locker. After that he called me a frigid bitch to his friends whenever I walked by.”

“That,” Kory started, “is absolutely—”

“Ginger Gordon,” a booming voice said behind Kory. Barbara forced her lovely lips into something like a smile.

“Gus,” she said, “Hi.”

“It’s been a long time.”

“Yeah, a few years.”

“Still doing that secretary work?” He pointed at her outfit. Kory was pretty sure Barbara had never done secretary work.

“Uh,” she said, “No, I consult firms and corporations on their cybersecurity protection—” But apparently he saw Kory out the corner of his eye.

“Wait, aren’t you Kory Anders?”

“I might be,” Kory blinked.

“Yeah, you are!” The weasel grinned. “I thought I recognized you. Gus Stawn.” He snatched her hand and put it to her lips, “I’m VP of sales over at First Gotham.” She couldn’t pull away fast enough.

“Charmed,” Kory replied, without a hint of her trademark enthusiasm.

He had his back entirely to Barbara at this point and it was clear to Kory where his eyes were focused — right down her low cut top. She was used to men pulling this stunt, but when he licked his lips she became nauseous. And still he continued.

“Yeah, I knew I saw your face before. I caught your Victoria Secret show on TV a while back. You looked … _good._ ”

“Excuse me—” Barbara snapped.

“I never would have thought Gordon would know someone like you. Is she your assistant or something?” Kory wondered if he was just ignoring their obvious discomfort or if he was so dense that he couldn’t see the anger etched on Barbara’s face because the man continued.

“So hey,” he put his hand on the table to lean towards her, “if you’re not busy tonight, maybe we could get a drink. I could show you the town. Show you a good time.”

Enough of this, she thought. “Actually, I’m spending the whole day with _Barbara_. That includes the evening,” Kory smiled at her friend, whose anger seemed quelled slightly by her answer.

“Oh, I’m sure Ginger doesn’t mind me taking you off her hands,” he glanced at her. “Probably got some typing class to go to anyw—”

“Well,” Kory raised her voice to get his attention, “if she didn’t mind, I would.”

She sat up tall, like she was seated at her place in the Tamaranian court again.

“I would much rather spend time with _her_ than you,” she sneered at him. “No offense, but I make it a habit to only converse with thoughtful, intelligent and high quality individuals. Now, you’ve interrupted our lunch for long enough, so kindly— oh what’s the word I’m looking for, Barbara?” She looked back at her human companion, whose grimace had spread into a open-mouthed grin. “Oh yes,” Kory looked back up at him, “kindly fuck off.”

Gus stared dumbfounded, confused by Kory’s words and composure and probably her rejection. But she just glared at him like the rodent that he was until he walked away.

“Wow…” Barbara breathed out. Kory chuckled.

“Yes, it _was_ rather good, wasn’t it?” she twirled her straw so the ice whirlpooled. But when she looked up, her companion did not look so cheery.

“What’s wrong? You look troubled.”

“No! It’s just …” she trailed off, “Talking to him … it reminded me how much I hated parts of high school. Lots of bad memories.”

“What do you mean?” Kory asked with a tilt of her head. Dick had always spoken fondly of his school days with Barbara.

“Oh,” she waved her off, “don’t worry about it. I just wish I hadn’t made eye contact with him in the first place. I could have avoided that whole thing.”

“Barbara,” Kory said, “You did absolutely nothing wrong — that worm was to blame for disrupting our meal, not you. Besides, I am a princess. I do not take kindly to pathetic men insulting those I … care about.”

The last bit came out more intimate that she meant. Barbara just looked at her and Kory couldn’t read her face, but it might have been panic. Which made Kory panic.

“Because we’re friends,” Kory added quickly. “We—we _are_ friends, yes?”

Barbara smiled. “Yeah, we’re friends.”

_Friends_ , Kory thought. _Friends are good._

“Well,” Barbara said, “like I was saying before, I know this frozen yogurt place that lets you put on as many toppings as you want.”

So Barbara wasn’t interested in her “like that,” Kory thought as Barbara asked for the check. _Friend is good_ , she thought. _Friend is more than good._ Yet despite that new mantra, Kory felt a light fluttering in her chest when she looked across the table at her friend. It made her heart race when Barbara bit her lip and tucked a bit of red hair behind her ear as she figured out the tip. And as they rose from their seats, Kory resisted the urge to hold Barbara’s hand as they walked down the street for frozen yogurt.


End file.
